JP7632137B2 - Picking System - Google Patents

Description

This relates to a picking system that, in a picking station where multiple item containers and input containers are arranged, removes items from item containers based on order information and inputs them into input containers.

A picking system has been proposed that includes a picking station in which multiple container placement means are arranged side by side, and in which the positions of the container placement means in which the article containers from which articles are taken are placed and the container placement means in which the input containers into which articles are input are placed are switched depending on the mode (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-70369 A

In conventional picking systems, the positions of the container placement means from which items are removed from the item container and the positions of the container placement means from which items are inserted into the insertion container are fixed regardless of the mode. The inventors of the present application have discovered that the efficiency of picking is restricted by the fact that the functions assigned to each of the container placement means are fixed.

The present invention was made based on the findings of the present inventors, and aims to provide a picking system that can increase the processing volume per unit time in the picking system by effectively changing the functions of each container placement means.

In order to achieve the above object, a picking system according to the present invention comprises a picking station having a plurality of container placement means in which a plurality of item containers containing items to be picked and an input container into which items removed from the item containers are inserted are respectively placed, a transport device that transports the item containers to the container placement means, and a management device that manages picking at the picking station, the management device comprising a position determination unit that determines the container placement means in which the input container is placed as an input position and determines the other container placement means as an extraction position from which items are removed, a removal grasping unit that grasps the completion of removal of items from the item containers placed at the extraction positions, and a position update unit that updates the extraction position to the next input position when the removal grasping unit grasps the completion of removal.

According to the present invention, while an item is being dropped into a drop container at a picking station, the next drop container can be prepared, reducing the waiting time until the drop container arrives and allowing picking to continue efficiently.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the picking system together with the automated warehouse. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional units of a management device. 11 is a perspective view showing a state of a picking station determined by a position determination unit. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state of a picking station updated by a position update unit. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the picking system. 13 is a perspective view showing a door for preventing the removal or insertion of an item in a picking system of another embodiment. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the picking system according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example to explain the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. For example, the shapes, structures, materials, components, relative positional relationships, connection states, numerical values, formulas, the contents of each step in the method, and the order of each step shown in the following embodiment are examples, and may include contents not described below. In addition, geometric expressions such as parallel and orthogonal may be used, but these expressions do not indicate mathematical strictness, and include errors, deviations, etc. that are substantially acceptable. In addition, expressions such as simultaneous and identical also include a substantially acceptable range.

The drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis, omissions, or proportions have been appropriately adjusted in order to explain the present invention, and may differ from the actual shapes, positional relationships, and proportions.

In addition, multiple inventions may be collectively described below as a single embodiment. Some of the content described below is also described as an optional component of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a picking system 100 together with an automated warehouse 200. The picking system 100 is a system that automatically transports an item container 201 and an input container 202 to a picking station 110 where a worker, a robot, or the like performs picking, and allows a worker, or the like, to transfer an item 203 from the item container 201 to the input container 202 at the picking station 110, and includes a transport device 120 and a management device 130. In this embodiment, the picking system 100 further includes a weight measuring means 140 and a notification means 150. Note that the item container 201 and the input container 202 may be collectively referred to as a container.

The automated warehouse 200 is a warehouse that can store multiple item containers 201 and automatically load and unload the item containers 201. The configuration of the automated warehouse 200 is not particularly limited, but examples include a rack that has shelves that hold the item containers 201 in a row in a horizontal plane and has multiple shelves arranged in the vertical direction, and a stacker crane that has a transfer device that transfers the item containers 201 to the rack and moves the transfer device along the rack in a vertical plane.

In this embodiment, the automated warehouse 200 also stores input containers 202, and the automated warehouse 200 can automatically store and retrieve the input containers 202. The automated warehouse 200 can also automatically transfer the item containers 201 and input containers 202 to and from the conveying device 120 of the picking system 100.

Note that while FIG. 1 shows a single picking system 100 for a schematic representation of an automated warehouse 200, multiple picking systems 100 may be connected to the automated warehouse.

The item container 201 is a container that contains multiple items 203 of the same type. Items of the same type are contained in one item container 201, and items 203 of different types or items 203 of the same type are contained in different item containers 201. The shape, material, etc. of the item container 201 are not particularly limited, and item containers 201 of different shapes and item containers 201 made of different materials may be used in the picking system 100.

The input container 202 is a container into which different types of items 203 taken out from multiple item containers 201 are input by an operator, a robot, etc. The shape, material, etc. of the input container 202 are not particularly limited, and input containers 202 of different shapes and different materials may be used in the picking system 100. In the case of this embodiment, the item containers 201 used in the picking system 100 are mutually identical in shape and material, and the input container 202 is the same in shape and material as the item container 201.

The picking station 110 is an area where picking is performed, in which a worker or the like removes an item 203 from an item container 201 containing the item 203 and places the item 203 in a placement container 202, and multiple container placement means 111 are arranged in a row.

The container placement means 111 is a platform on which one item container 201 or input container 202 is placed. The number of container placement means 111 arranged in the picking station 110 is not particularly limited as long as it is three or more. In the case of this embodiment, six container placement means 111 are arranged in a row (Y-axis direction in the figure) in the picking station 110. In other words, a total of six item containers 201 and input containers 202 are arranged in the picking station 110. The container placement means 111 are individually recognized by the management device 130.

The conveying device 120 is a device that conveys at least the article container 201 to the container placement means 111. The type of the conveying device 120 is not particularly limited, and examples include a trackless vehicle, a tracked vehicle, a conveyor, and a crane. In this embodiment, the conveying device 120 is equipped with a forward conveyor 121 and a return conveyor 122 that are connected to the automated warehouse 200, and a lifter 123 that connects the outer ends of the forward conveyor 121 and the return conveyor 122 arranged in the vertical direction in the vertical direction. The lifter 123 may be provided with a transfer device that transfers the container between the container placement means 111. The conveying device 120 may not be equipped with a transfer device, and a worker or the like may transfer the container from the conveying device 120. The input container 202 may be placed on the container placement means 111 by a worker or the like, without being transported by the conveying device 120.

The weight measuring means 140 is provided at the upper end of each container mounting means 111, and is a device that measures the weight of each container mounted on the container mounting means 111. The type of weight measuring means 140 is not particularly limited, and examples include load cells. It is preferable that the weight measuring means 140 be capable of detecting an increase or decrease of one of the lightest items 203 used for picking.

The notification means 150 is provided corresponding to each container placement means 111, and is a device that notifies the worker that the container placed on the container placement means 111 is an item container 201 or an input container 202. In the case of this embodiment, the notification means 150 is a display, and notifies the worker that the corresponding container is an item container 201 by displaying an upward arrow, and notifies the worker that the corresponding container is an input container 202 by displaying a downward arrow. The notification means 150 may notify the worker of the type of container by color or video (animation). It may also display the quantity (remaining number) of items 203 to be removed.

In addition, the notification means 150 may not only notify the type of container visually and audibly, but also notify the type of container by changing the opening direction of a flap provided near the opening of the container, such as opening toward the front or the back.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional parts of the management device. The management device 130 is a device equipped with a processor that manages picking in the picking station 110, and is equipped with a position determination part 131, a removal grasping part 132, and a position update part 133 as processing parts realized by having the processor execute a program. In the case of this embodiment, the management device 130 is equipped with a transport grasping part 134, a container change part 135, an input grasping part 136, and an information notification part 137 as processing parts.

3, the position determination unit 131 determines the container placement means 111 in which the input container 202 is placed as the previous input position 101, and determines the other container placement means 111 as the removal position 109 from which the item 203 is removed. For example, the position determination unit 131 determines the input position 101 to be placed at a position where the sum of the distances between the input position 101 and the removal position 109 is the smallest, that is, the input position 101 is determined to be at or near the center of the row of removal positions 109. Note that determining the container placement means 111 in which the input container 202 is placed as the previous input position 101 also includes the case where the input container 202 is placed at the previous input position 101 determined by the position determination unit 131.

The removal grasping unit 132 grasps the completion of removal of the items 203 from the item container 201 arranged at the removal position 109. An example of the completion of removal is when there are no more items 203 in the item container 201. Note that removal may also be completed when the number of items 203 remaining in the item container 201 that contains the type of items 203 included in the order information corresponding to the next input container 202 that is scheduled to be input after the currently input container 202 is less than the number indicated in the order information. In other words, the item container 201 is used as the next input container 202 with a small amount remaining in the item container 201. The order information corresponding to the next input container 202 includes the items 203 remaining in the container. The order information is information indicating how many items 203 of what type are to be input into one input container 202. The order information is obtained from a higher-level computer or the like.

The method by which the removal grasping unit 132 grasps the information of the item 203 being removed is not particularly limited. In the case of this embodiment, information is individually carried on the item 203, and each time an item 203 is removed from the item container 201, an operator or the like reads the information using a reading device 210 provided in the picking system 100. The removal grasping unit 132 grasps the removal of the item 203 and the type of the item 203 that has been removed based on the information read by the reading device 210. The medium that carries the information is not particularly limited, and examples include a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, and an IC tag.

The transport grasping unit 134 grasps the completion of transport of the item container 201 in the order information for one input container 202 to the container placement means 111. Completion of transport means a state in which the last item container 201, which is an item container 201 arranged on the container placement means 111 of the picking station 110, has been transported by the transport device 120 and all of the items 203 included in the order information are placed in the input container 202 by inserting the items 203 from the item container 201 arranged on the container placement means 111 of the picking station 110 into the input container 202.

The position update unit 133 acquires information indicating completion of removal from the removal grasping unit 132, and in this embodiment, on the premise that it also acquires information indicating completion of transportation from the transportation grasping unit 134, updates at least one of the multiple removal positions 109 determined by the position determination unit 131 to the next insertion position 102, as shown in FIG. 4. At the stage where it has been updated to the next insertion position 102, there are two insertion positions in the picking station 110: the previous insertion position 101 and the next insertion position 102.

When the container change unit 135 acquires information indicating completion of removal from the removal grasping unit 132, it changes the setting of the item container 201 located at the next input position 102 to the next input container 202. In other words, after the container change unit 135 changes the setting, the management device 130 recognizes and treats the container that was recognized as the item container 201 as the input container 202. Note that the container change unit 135 may transmit information indicating the change setting or information indicating the result of the change to a higher-level computer, etc.

As shown in FIG. 5, the item container 201 and the input container 202 are containers of the same shape, and item container information 221 indicating the item container 201 and input container information 222 indicating the input container 202 may be displayed on the surface of the container. The container may also be provided with concealment means 230 for selectively covering the item container information 221 and the input container information 222. Specifically, the item container information 221 and the input container information 222 are one-dimensional codes and are provided on the edge of the upper end surface of the container. The concealment means 230 is a member that slides along the edge of the container and can cover and conceal either the item container information 221 or the input container information 222.

When the item container information 221 and the input container information 222 are displayed on the container, the container change unit 135 notifies the worker of information indicating the container change using the notification means 150 or the like when setting a change in the type of container. The worker is prompted by the notification information to have the item container information 221 read by the reading device 210, then hide it with the concealment means 230, move the concealment means 230 so that the input container information 222 is visible, and have the input container information 222 read by the reading device. This allows the container change unit 135 to set the change to the item container 201 as the next input container 202.

The input grasping unit 136 grasps the completion of input of the items 203 into the input container 202 placed at the previous input position 101. Input completion means that all of the items 203 included in the order information have been input into the input container 202. The method by which the input grasping unit 136 grasps the information on the items 203 being input into the input container 202 is not particularly limited. For example, an example of a method is that each time an item 203 is input into the input container 202, an operator or the like presses a push button indicating completion of input, thereby inputting input information for each item 203, and the input grasping unit 136 grasps completion of input based on the information of the items 203 read by the removal grasping unit 132 and the order information.

The information notification unit 137 notifies prohibition information that prohibits the insertion of items 203 into a container located at the next insertion position 102 and the removal of items 203 until information indicating completion of insertion is obtained from the insertion grasping unit 136. In the case of this embodiment, the information notification unit 137 displays a symbol to attract the worker's attention on the notification means 150 at a position corresponding to the next insertion position 102, as shown in FIG. 4.

The information notification unit 137 also obtains the increase or decrease in the weight of the container placed at the next input position 102 from the weight measurement means 140, and notifies the mispicking information when the weight increases or decreases. In this case, the method of notifying the mispicking information is not particularly limited. For example, the display of the notification means 150 can be flashed, or a sound (warning sound) can be generated from a speaker or the like. This makes it possible to warn when an operator mistakenly puts an item 203 that should be put into an input container 202 placed at the previous input position 101 into an input container 202 placed at the next input position 102. It is also possible to warn when an operator mistakenly removes an item 203 remaining in an input container 202 placed at the next input position 102. It is also possible to warn when an item 203 is put into an item container 201.

According to the picking system 100 described above, in the picking station 110 where picking work is being performed on the input container 202 placed at the previous input position 101, the container placement means 111 that will be the next input position 102 is secured, and the item container 201 placed there is changed to the input container 202. Therefore, when the previous picking work is completed, it is possible to immediately move on to the next picking work, and the picking work can be continued efficiently.

In addition, by changing the position to the next input position 102 after the transportation of the item container 201 in the previous picking operation is completed, the maximum number of item containers 201 can be placed in the picking station 110 up to the final stage in the previous picking operation, and a transition to the next picking operation can be made efficiently while preventing a decrease in the efficiency of the picking operation.

In addition, by changing the item container 201 into an input container 202 while keeping the container in its current position, the need to switch containers can be eliminated, allowing picking operations to continue more efficiently.

In addition, by changing the item container 201 in which the item 203 to be inserted in the next picking operation remains to the insertion container 202, one step in the transfer of the item 203 in the next picking operation can be omitted, thereby improving the efficiency of the picking operation.

In addition, two input containers 202 will be placed in the picking station 110, and by using the notification means 150 to notify prohibition information, it is possible to prevent the worker from making an input mistake in the item 203. Furthermore, by monitoring the increase or decrease in weight of the input container 202, it is possible to notify mispicking information that makes the worker aware of the occurrence of an input mistake, and recovery or the like can be performed based on the mispicking information.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the components described in this specification may be combined in any way, or some of the components may be removed to create another embodiment of the present invention. The present invention also includes modifications that are made to the above-described embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention, i.e., the meaning of the words in the claims.

In the above embodiment, the case where the goods container 201 is changed to the input container 202 has been described, but the goods container 201 may be replaced with the next input container 202. Specifically, when the container change unit 135 acquires information indicating completion of removal from the removal grasping unit 132, it notifies the replacement information for replacing the goods container 201 placed at the next input position 102 with the next input container 202 using the notification means 150 or the like. The worker who recognizes the replacement information transports the completed goods container 201 to the automated warehouse 200 using the transport device 120, and places the next input container 202 in the vacant container placement means 111. This also makes it possible to achieve the same effect as above. In this case, the input container information 222 attached to the newly placed next input container 202 may be read by a reading device, and the management device 130 or the like may recognize the identification information of the next input container 202.

The conveying device 120 is not limited to devices that convey the article container 201 from the automated warehouse 200 to the container placement means 111. If the container placement means 111 and the automated warehouse 200 are adjacent to each other, and a stacker crane or the like that places cargo in and out of the racks of the automated warehouse 200 places the article container 201 directly on the container placement means 111, the stacker crane or the like is also included in the conveying device 120.

In addition, the case where the conveying device 120 and the picking station 110 are separate and containers are transferred between the picking station 110 and the conveying device 120 has been described, but as shown in FIG. 6, the picking station 110 may be part of the conveying device 120. In this case, the management device 130 operates the conveying device 120 based on the replacement information, so that the completed item container 201 can be conveyed to the automated warehouse 200 using the conveying device 120, and the next input container 202 can be placed on the vacant container placement means 111 using the conveying device 120.

Also, as shown in FIG. 7, when the information notification unit 137 notifies prohibition information, the opening of the next input container 202 may be covered with a door 151 to prohibit the input of items 203 into the container to be placed at the next input position 102 and the removal of items 203 until information indicating completion of input is obtained from the input grasping unit 136. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous input into and removal from the input container 202 to be placed at the next input position 102.

Although the above example illustrates a case where picking is performed by a worker, the picking system 100 may be equipped with a picking robot capable of picking, and the robot may perform the picking.

In addition, multiple types of items 203 may be stored in the item container 201. In such cases, the inside of the item container 201 may be partitioned to form spaces according to the number of types, and the same type of item 203 may be stored in each space.

This invention can be used in picking systems.

100 Picking system 101 Previous input position 102 Next input position 109 Position 110 Picking station 111 Container placement means 120 Conveying device 121 Forward conveyor 122 Return conveyor 123 Lifter 130 Management device 131 Position determination unit 132 Grasping unit 133 Position update unit 134 Conveying grasping unit 135 Container change unit 136 Input grasping unit 137 Information notification unit 140 Weight measurement means 150 Notification means 151 Door 200 Automated warehouse 201 Goods container 202 Input container 203 Goods 210 Device 221 Goods container information 222 Input container information 230 Concealment means

Claims (7)

a picking station including a plurality of container placement means for respectively arranging a plurality of article containers containing articles to be picked and input containers into which the articles removed from the article containers are input;
A transport device that transports the article container to the container placement means;
A management device that manages picking at the picking station,
The management device includes:
a position determination unit that determines the container placement means on which a loading container is placed as a loading position and determines another container placement means as a removal position from which an article is removed;
a removal grasping unit that grasps completion of removal of the article from the article container disposed at the removal position;
A picking system comprising: a position update unit that updates the removal position to a next insertion position when the removal grasping unit grasps that removal has been completed. The management device includes:
a transport grasping unit configured to grasp completion of transport of an article container to the container placement means in order information for one input container,
The location update unit is
The picking system according to claim 1 , wherein when the transport grasping unit grasps completion of transport, the take-out position is updated to a next putting-in position. The management device includes:
The picking system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a container changing unit that sets the article container located at the next insertion position as the next insertion container when the removal grasping unit grasps that removal has been completed. the article container and the input container are containers of the same shape, article container information indicating the article container and input container information indicating the input container are displayed on the surface of the container, and a concealing means is provided for selectively covering the article container information and the input container information;
The picking system includes:
The picking system according to claim 1 , further comprising a reading device that reads the item container information and the input container information. The management device includes:
The picking system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a container changing unit that, when the removal grasping unit grasps that removal has been completed, notifies a replacement information for replacing the item container located at the next insertion position with a next insertion container. The management device includes:
A loading grasping unit that grasps completion of loading of the article into the loading container;
A picking system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an information notification unit that notifies prohibition information prohibiting the insertion of items into a container to be located at the next insertion position and the removal of items until the insertion grasping unit grasps that insertion has been completed. a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the container placed on the container placing means,
The information notification unit is
The picking system according to claim 6 , wherein mis-picking information is notified when an increase or decrease in weight of the container to be placed at the next insertion position occurs.

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